PHILADELPHIA — The newest adviser to Josh Harris did not take long Thursday to begin his new duties.

Doug Collins’ first advice to the Sixers’ owner: Strongly consider associate head coach Michael Curry for the now-vacant head-coaching position.

“I think we have some high-quality guys,” Collins said. “Michael Curry has been a head coach before. With what he has done here defensively, I think he has grown incredibly. He had an interview last year in Orlando and I think they were all set on hiring a coach and I think he got them to thinking and strung out that process a little bit because of the job he did going in. And I think Michael’s ready.”

A former NBA player, Curry coached Detroit in 2008-09. The Pistons reached the playoffs that season, but with a 39-43 record, Curry was fired. He resurfaced as Collins’ top assistant in 2010-11, with a primary focus on defense.

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Harris was not immediately prepared Thursday to promote Curry. Rather, he said he will begin a search that ultimately leaves the decision to him and general manager Tony DiLeo.

“We are going to run a process,” Harris said. “And ultimately, we are going to get a lot of input from a lot of people. But at the end of the day, the GM and I will be the ultimate decision-makers.”

Harris made it clear that DiLeo, not semi-retired team president Rod Thorn, will be his closest adviser on the issue, though he does intend to continue to use Thorn as an organizational resource.

As of Thursday, he had at least one more of those.

“As Josh said, they are going to get a great coach,” Collins said. “This is a great basketball place. And the first thing that coach is going to do is ask me. And this the first thing I will say is that this owner is a guy that you want to work with and this city is a place you want to coach. It is a great place. And I think with all that Andy Reid went through here, I think he picked up the phone and talked to Chip Kelly and told him, ‘You know what, Philly is a great place to be.’”

Harris hinted that he’d prefer to have a coach in place by the start of the free agent period July 1.

“I’d like to have a coach,” the owner said. “But ultimately, I want to have the right coach. And I don’t think that’s going to happen overnight. I think it is going to take a little bit of time before I can figure out who is going to coach the team. This is something that is going to take time. We don’t have a ready-made coach. We are going to have to spend time analyzing it because that is the only way I know how to do things.”

In another area that will require some learned advice, the Sixers must decide whether or not to re-sign Andrew Bynum, who will become a free agent July 1.

Collins was less clear on his leanings on that issue.

“That will all be based on health and things that go along with that,” the new adviser said. “They have to make a decision: How healthy is he? That’s a decision that has to be made.”

Bynum made $16.9 million and did not play for the Sixers due to knee troubles.

Among the topics addressed in the players’ exit meetings with management Thursday was what the Sixers need to reverse a 34-48 record.

Thad Young, for one, was quick with an opinion.

“A center,” he said. “I think we need a center and a good backup point guard. Throughout the course of a game, Jrue (Holiday) probably would tend to get tired a little bit. That’s what happens when you are playing 35 to 40 minutes a game. It will wear and tear on you a little bit. He and I talk and I know he has to go out and guard all those elite point guards so we are definitely going to need a backup guy to help him out a little bit.

“And as far as us getting back to the playoffs and make a good push, we are going to definitely need a big guy in the middle who can go out and do the scoring and rebounding and altering shots.

“It was an unfortunate season,” he added. “But at the end of the day, we have a lot to deal with next season, a lot of guys that come back. And we can go at this again.”